The Snowden Effect: Boss From Hell Division

The activities of the all-too-human, but curiously error-prone, heroes of our surveillance state continue to fill me with confidence. I believe that, absent what happened with Edward Snowden, International Man Of Luggage, this story gets buried on A16. But there's a real spotlight on these people now.

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Officers and analysts in the Iran operations division, which coordinates spying on Iran and its nuclear program, were informed at a meeting last week at CIA headquarters in Langley, Va., of the decision to suspend Jonathan Bank, a veteran officer and member of the senior intelligence service. Three former officials said the Iran operations division was in open rebellion to Bank's management style, with several key employees demanding transfers. "Iran is one of most important targets, and the place was not functioning," one of the former officials said.

I like the 2009 survey that showed that most people leave the CIA because they're frustrated by "bad management." The clandestine service and Wal Mart: How Are They Different? Discuss.

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